Mayor Larkin: Do not support racist policies in the US

In the last minute publication in the Connacht Tribune on the 8th of March about your invitation to visit the President of the United States on the 16th of March, it reads that your message to President Trump will be in support of the “undocumented Irish” living in the US. This comment excludes every other group whose rights are currently being threatened. Your visit is scheduled for the same day that the new immigration ban (or Muslim ban) will take effect.

The Irish are in a special position in the United States; we make up ~10% of the US population, and 50,000 Irish citizens currently have illegal status. President Trump required the support of Irish-Americans to increase his votes from the white population. This population is strongly influenced by Irish opinion, giving you a very special opportunity to stand up for equality for ALL, like your well-known namesake Big Jim Larkin, a national hero. The strongest message you could send that you care about all humans equally, regardless of skin colour, sex, or creed would be to refuse to meet President Trump on the day that a new racist ban will be implemented.

Is it more vital spend this day with the President Trump who is denying basic human rights, the importance of protecting the environment, and the necessity of respectful international relations rather than promoting the true spirit of Galway as a diverse and cultural city? By ignoring the plight of the multitudes beyond the illegal Irish in the US, you are sending a strong message of exclusion to minority and immigrant populations here in Galway.

Do not give President Trump the opportunity to use the visit of invited Irish delegates as propaganda for his racist policies.